New guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Dongiwirola’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Impatiens  plant named ‘Dongiwirola’ characterized by its upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; glossy dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; semi-double flowers that are light purple in color; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Impatiens hawkeri.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DONGIWIROLA’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR & APPLICANT/ASSIGNEE

An European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Applicant/Assignee, Dümmen Group B.V. of De Lier, The Netherlands on Oct. 29, 2020, application number 2020/2733. Foreign priority is not claimed to this application.

The Inventor and Applicant/Assignee assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor and/or Applicant/Assignee. Inventor and Applicant/Assignee claim a prior art exception under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dongiwirola’.

The new Impatiens plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Koka, Ethiopia and Encinitas, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely branching and early and freely flowering New Guinea Impatiens plants with attractive double flowers and good garden performance.

The new Impatiens plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in November, 2016 in Koka, Ethiopia of a proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified as code number NN-1286, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified as code number NN14-004404-008, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Impatiens plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Encinitas, Calif. in April, 2017.

Asexual reproduction of the new Impatiens plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since June, 2017 has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Impatiens have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylight and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dongiwirola’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dongiwirola’ as a new and distinct Impatiens plant:

-   -   1. Upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant         habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Glossy dark green-colored leaves.     -   5. Freely flowering habit.     -   6. Semi-double flowers that are light purple in color.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Impatiens differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flower color as flowers of plants of the new Impatiens are light purple in color whereas flowers of plants of the female parent selection are light cherry rose in color.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Impatiens differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens are more vigorous than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Impatiens are light purple in         color whereas flowers of plants of the male parent selection are         dark pink in color.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of Impatiens hawkeri ‘Doimwirored’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,564. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Impatiens differ primarily from plants of ‘Doimwirored’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens have smaller flowers than plants         of ‘Doimwirored’.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Impatiens are light purple in         color whereas flowers of plants of ‘Doimwirored’ are dark red in         color.

Plants of the new Impatiens can also be compared to plants of Impatiens hawkeri ‘Kialdan’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,029. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Impatiens differ primarily from plants of ‘Kialdan’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens are more mounding than and not as         upright as plants of ‘Kialdan’.     -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens have smaller flowers than plants         of ‘Kialdan’.     -   3. Plants of the new Impatiens have semi-double flowers whereas         plants of ‘Kialdan’ have single flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Impatiens plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Impatiens plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dongiwirola’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dongiwirola’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the summer in 16.5-cm containers in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Encinitas, Calif. and under cultural practices typical of commercial New Guinea Impatiens production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 25° C., night temperatures averaged 20° C. and light levels ranged from 4,000 to 4,500 lux. Plants were 14 weeks old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri ‘Dongiwirola’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Impatiens             hawkeri identified as code number NN-1286, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Impatiens             hawkeri identified as code number NN14-004404-008, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About five to             seven days at day temperatures about 27° C. and night             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and             winter.—About three weeks at day temperatures about 27° C.             and night temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically white in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizers, substrate             temperature and age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright to outwardly spreading and             uniformly mounding plant habit; broad inverted triangle in             overall shape; freely branching habit; bushy and dense             appearance; moderately vigorous growth habit and moderate             growth rate; strong and sturdy plants.         -   Plant height.—About 25 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 46 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Branching habit.—Freely branching with about six to seven             primary lateral branches each with multiple secondary             branches.         -   Length.—About 23 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 1.6 cm.         -   Internode length.—About 6 cm to 7 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong, flexible.         -   Aspect.—Initially upright to about 45° to 60° from vertical.         -   Texture and luster.—Smooth, glabrous; glossy.         -   Color, developing.—Close to 144A.         -   Color, developed.—Close to 144A; at the base, overlain with             close to 183A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Typically in whorls or opposite; simple; leaves             are durable.         -   Length.—About 10 cm.         -   Width.—About 4.75 cm.         -   Shape.—Obovate to broadly elliptic.         -   Apex.—Long acuminate.         -   Base.—Cuneate.         -   Margin.—Serrate with ciliation.         -   Texture and luster, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous;             coriaceous; glossy.         -   Texture and luster, lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous;             coriaceous; somewhat glossy.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 147A; midvein, close to 144B; and lateral venation,             close to 147A. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 147B; midvein, close to 145C; and lateral             venation, close to 146A.         -   Petiole length.—About 2 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 5 mm.         -   Petiole texture and luster, upper and lower             surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous; moderately glossy.         -   Petiole color, upper surface.—Close to 145C.         -   Petiole color, lower surface.—Close to 145B to 145C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Semi-double axillary             flowers that are rounded to slightly rectangular in shape;             freely flowering habit, typically about five to six flower             buds and opened flowers per lateral branch; flowers are             positioned above and beyond the foliar plane, flowers             typically face mostly upright to outwardly.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers typically last about four to seven             days on the plant under greenhouse conditions; petals             self-cleaning, gynoecium persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse             conditions; in the garden, flowering from spring until fall             in California; early flowering habit, plants typically begin             flowering about ten weeks from unrooted cuttings.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 9 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy.             Color: Close to 144A.         -   Flower diameter.—About 4.75 cm by 5.3 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Typically six to ten in             two whorls; if ten petals are present, there are one banner             petal, two lateral petals and two lower petals per whorl.             Inner whorl: Length, banner petal: About 3 cm. Length,             lateral petals: About 2.2 cm. Length, lower petals: About             2.5 cm. Width, banner petal: About 3.3 cm. Width, lateral             petals: About 2.2 cm. Width, lower petals: About 2.6 cm.             Outer whorl: Length, banner petal: About 2.3 cm. Length,             lateral petals: About 2.3 cm. Length, lower petals: About             3 cm. Width, banner petal: About 3.5 cm. Width, lateral             petals: About 2.2 cm. Width, lower petals: About 3.2 cm.             Shape, all petals: Roughly cordate. Apex, all petals:             Emarginate, partially notched. Base, all petals: Cuneate to             attenuate. Margin, all petals: Entire, moderately undulate.             Texture and luster, all petals, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy; iridescent. Color, banner             petals: When opening, upper surface: Close to N75A; towards             the base, close to 145C to 145D; upper blotch, close to 144A             to 144B. When opening, lower surface: Close to 76C; center,             close to 144B to 144C; midvein, close to 144A. Fully opened,             upper surface: Close to N75A; color becoming closer to N75B             with subsequent development. Fully opened, lower surface:             Close to 76D; center, close to 144B to 144C; midvein, close             to 144A; color does not change with subsequent development.             Color, lateral and lower petals: When opening, upper             surface: Close to N75A; towards the base, close to 145C to             145D. When opening, lower surface: Close to 76C. Fully             opened, upper surface: Close to N75A; color becoming closer             to N75B with subsequent development. Fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 76D; color does not change with subsequent             development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Three in a single whorl;             two laterals are opposite and the third modified into an             elongated spur. Lateral sepal length: About 6 mm. Lateral             sepal width: About 5 mm. Lateral sepal shape: Narrowly             ovate. Lateral sepal apex: Acuminate to cuspidate. Lateral             sepal base: Truncate. Lateral sepal margin: Entire, not             undulate. Lateral sepal texture and luster, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; moderately glossy. Lateral sepal             color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145B to 145C.             Spurred sepal length (not including spur): About 1 cm.             Spurred sepal width (proximally): About 6 mm. Spurred sepal             shape (proximally): Broadly ovate. Spurred sepal base:             Cordate. Spurred sepal margin (proximally): Entire, not             undulate. Spurred sepal texture and luster (proximally),             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; moderately             glossy. Spurred sepal color (proximally), upper and lower             surfaces: Close to NN155D. Spur length: About 5 cm. Spur             diameter: At flower, about 1.75 mm; at apex, less than 1 mm.             Spur shape: Acicular, curved. Spur texture and luster:             Smooth, glabrous; moderately glossy. Spur color: Close to             145C to 145D.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.25 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Angle: About 45° to 90° from vertical. Strength: Strong;             flexible. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy.             Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—To date, reproductive organs have not             been observed on plants of the new Impatiens. Seeds and             fruits: To date, seed and fruit production has not been             observed on plants of the new Impatiens. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Impatiens     have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common     to Impatiens plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Impatiens have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate temperatures ranging     from about 5° C. to about 40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Impatiens plant named ‘Dongiwirola’ as illustrated and described. 